Legendary Parrot Who Saved His Species Dead at 80

Photo via AKO AOTEAROA

by Stephen Messenger, Porto Alegre, Brazil on 01.13.11
Travel & Nature

Richard Henry may sound like an oddly dignified name for a bird -- but its bearer deserves nothing less. Richard was a highly-endangered Kakapo, a flightless parrot from New Zealand, who is credited by many with single-wingedly saving his species. In the 1970s, researchers believed that the Kakapo had been nearly wiped out and that extinction was inevitable -- that is, until they ran across Richard. With his genetic material, conservationists were able to slowly recover the species. But today, after decades of service, Richard Henry has passed away at the ripe old age of 80 -- leaving behind a legacy that, with any luck, will be everlasting.

Aside from being rare, kakapo are actually quite unique for a parrot in that they are nocturnal, flightless, and heavy -- perfect traits for their virtually predator-less native habitat in New Zealand, but those characteristics put them at a terrible disadvantage when Europeans began to settle the islands, bringing animals and a tradition of clearing forests for farmland.

Even early on, scientists at the time noticed that the bird numbers were in decline -- due mainly to the factors described above, but also because they were a curiosity among foreign biologists and animal collectors, though the species didn't fair well in captivity.

By the 1890s, it was clear that lest some action be taken to protect them, the kakapo would soon go the way of that other flightless bird, the dodo. So, the New Zealand government set aside a reserve for the kakapo on the Resolution Island, where they were to be protected from the many threats they faced from humans and other invasive species. Appointed to oversee the birds was a dedicated naturalist by the name of Richard Henry.

Their safety in the reserve was short lived, however; predatory animals were able to swim to the island and decimate the kakapo population there. A small group of birds were rescued and moved to other islands, but the same problems only repeated. Finally, they found some refuge on the island of Fiordland, but their numbers continued to decline well into the 20th century. By the 1970s, it biologists feared they'd become extinct.

Then, on an exploratory expedition to Fiordland in 1975, researchers found a single middle-aged kakapo male, offering hope that the birds could yet be saved -- and they named him after that early kakapo conservationist.

When a small group of other birds were discovered on another island, Richard Henry became instrumental in producing offspring by offering some diversity to the dwindling population.

Over the next few decades later, with the help of Richard Henry, the kakapo species has seen an encouraging increase. Thanks to the dedication of a devout group of conservationists who have worked tirelessly to save the birds -- as well as concerned citizens from throughout the world -- the kakapo population currently stands at 122 birds. And, in the tradition of Richard Henry, each of the birds has a name, too. But his legacy hardly ends there.

With his death at 80 years of age, that very important kakapo leaves behind a better world for his kind. The Department of Conservation's Kākāpō Program Scientist Ron Moorhouse says Richard Henry's death marks the end of an era.

"Richard Henry was a living link to the early days of kākāpō recovery, and perhaps even to a time before stoats when kakapo could boom unmolested in Fiordland," said Dr Moorhouse. Richard Henry had not bred since 1999, and had been showing signs of age including blindness in one eye, slow moving and wrinkles. A sample of his DNA has been preserved.

The kākāpō breeding season is now well under way on both Codfish and Anchor Islands. If chicks are hatched on Anchor, they could well be the first kākāpō chicks in Fiordland since Richard Henry himself was a chick.

We had a great year last year when 33 chicks were born, and we're hoping for more this year. The males are booming well, so we're optimistic. It's sad to lose Richard Henry but the main thing is that the kākāpō population is growing...

There's something moving about the story of this bird, so full of tragedy, and hope. Perhaps there was a time when he could sense a darkness closing in on his species, when his lonely calls into the dim forests were all unanswered. But in the end, Richard Henry survived the night and chanced a glimpse of a new beginning for his kind.

It must be a bitter-sweet farewell for those dedicated humans who knew him long, but of course, there's more work to do -- it's egg-laying season for the kakapo soon. And, while Richard Henry's death may mark the end of an era, it marks the beginning of a new one, too.

Thanks to Sirocco Kakapo for the tip.

More on the Kakapo
Teenager on a Mission to Save Endangered Parrots
The World's Most Endangered Parrot Adds 26 Chicks to Its Numbers
Lessons From Extinction: Why are the Dodo Bird and the Kakapo So Similar?

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/legendary-parrot-who-saved-his-species-dead-at-80.php?campaign=th_rss_travel

Legendary Parrot Who Saved His Species Dead at 80

Photo via AKO AOTEAROA

by Stephen Messenger, Porto Alegre, Brazil on 01.13.11
Travel & Nature

Richard Henry may sound like an oddly dignified name for a bird -- but its bearer deserves nothing less. Richard was a highly-endangered Kakapo, a flightless parrot from New Zealand, who is credited by many with single-wingedly saving his species. In the 1970s, researchers believed that the Kakapo had been nearly wiped out and that extinction was inevitable -- that is, until they ran across Richard. With his genetic material, conservationists were able to slowly recover the species. But today, after decades of service, Richard Henry has passed away at the ripe old age of 80 -- leaving behind a legacy that, with any luck, will be everlasting.

Aside from being rare, kakapo are actually quite unique for a parrot in that they are nocturnal, flightless, and heavy -- perfect traits for their virtually predator-less native habitat in New Zealand, but those characteristics put them at a terrible disadvantage when Europeans began to settle the islands, bringing animals and a tradition of clearing forests for farmland.

Even early on, scientists at the time noticed that the bird numbers were in decline -- due mainly to the factors described above, but also because they were a curiosity among foreign biologists and animal collectors, though the species didn't fair well in captivity.

By the 1890s, it was clear that lest some action be taken to protect them, the kakapo would soon go the way of that other flightless bird, the dodo. So, the New Zealand government set aside a reserve for the kakapo on the Resolution Island, where they were to be protected from the many threats they faced from humans and other invasive species. Appointed to oversee the birds was a dedicated naturalist by the name of Richard Henry.

Their safety in the reserve was short lived, however; predatory animals were able to swim to the island and decimate the kakapo population there. A small group of birds were rescued and moved to other islands, but the same problems only repeated. Finally, they found some refuge on the island of Fiordland, but their numbers continued to decline well into the 20th century. By the 1970s, it biologists feared they'd become extinct.

Then, on an exploratory expedition to Fiordland in 1975, researchers found a single middle-aged kakapo male, offering hope that the birds could yet be saved -- and they named him after that early kakapo conservationist.

When a small group of other birds were discovered on another island, Richard Henry became instrumental in producing offspring by offering some diversity to the dwindling population.

Over the next few decades later, with the help of Richard Henry, the kakapo species has seen an encouraging increase. Thanks to the dedication of a devout group of conservationists who have worked tirelessly to save the birds -- as well as concerned citizens from throughout the world -- the kakapo population currently stands at 122 birds. And, in the tradition of Richard Henry, each of the birds has a name, too. But his legacy hardly ends there.

With his death at 80 years of age, that very important kakapo leaves behind a better world for his kind. The Department of Conservation's Kākāpō Program Scientist Ron Moorhouse says Richard Henry's death marks the end of an era.

"Richard Henry was a living link to the early days of kākāpō recovery, and perhaps even to a time before stoats when kakapo could boom unmolested in Fiordland," said Dr Moorhouse. Richard Henry had not bred since 1999, and had been showing signs of age including blindness in one eye, slow moving and wrinkles. A sample of his DNA has been preserved.

The kākāpō breeding season is now well under way on both Codfish and Anchor Islands. If chicks are hatched on Anchor, they could well be the first kākāpō chicks in Fiordland since Richard Henry himself was a chick.

We had a great year last year when 33 chicks were born, and we're hoping for more this year. The males are booming well, so we're optimistic. It's sad to lose Richard Henry but the main thing is that the kākāpō population is growing...

There's something moving about the story of this bird, so full of tragedy, and hope. Perhaps there was a time when he could sense a darkness closing in on his species, when his lonely calls into the dim forests were all unanswered. But in the end, Richard Henry survived the night and chanced a glimpse of a new beginning for his kind.

It must be a bitter-sweet farewell for those dedicated humans who knew him long, but of course, there's more work to do -- it's egg-laying season for the kakapo soon. And, while Richard Henry's death may mark the end of an era, it marks the beginning of a new one, too.

Thanks to Sirocco Kakapo for the tip.

More on the Kakapo
Teenager on a Mission to Save Endangered Parrots
The World's Most Endangered Parrot Adds 26 Chicks to Its Numbers
Lessons From Extinction: Why are the Dodo Bird and the Kakapo So Similar?

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/legendary-parrot-who-saved-his-species-dead-at-80.php?campaign=th_rss_travel

Police seize parrot trained as drug gang look-out

A parrot in the Colombian city of Barranquilla has become a jail-bird after it was seized during a police drugs raid.

According to environmental authorities, Lorenzo the parrot was trying to tip-off a local drug cartel when officers conducted an undercover raid.

"This parrot was sending out alerts," said Environmental Police Officer Hollman Oliveira. "You could say he was some sort of watch bird."

Authorities claim Lorenzo is one of nearly 1700 parrots seized by officials after being trained by drug traffickers to act as lookouts.

Lorenzo caused quite the stir as he was presented to journalists. The well-trained creature even showed off his look out skills as he yelled out: "Run, run you are going to get caught."

Police colonel Freddy Veloza told reporters: "He spent the whole morning saying that".

Despite Lorenzo's attempts, Veloza's officers still managed to seize more than two-hundred weapons, a stolen motorcycle and a large quantity of marijuana.

At least four men and two other birds were also arrested in the raids.
http://news.uk.msn.com/world/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=154699050&ocid=today

Police seize parrot trained as drug gang look-out

A parrot in the Colombian city of Barranquilla has become a jail-bird after it was seized during a police drugs raid.

According to environmental authorities, Lorenzo the parrot was trying to tip-off a local drug cartel when officers conducted an undercover raid.

"This parrot was sending out alerts," said Environmental Police Officer Hollman Oliveira. "You could say he was some sort of watch bird."

Authorities claim Lorenzo is one of nearly 1700 parrots seized by officials after being trained by drug traffickers to act as lookouts.

Lorenzo caused quite the stir as he was presented to journalists. The well-trained creature even showed off his look out skills as he yelled out: "Run, run you are going to get caught."

Police colonel Freddy Veloza told reporters: "He spent the whole morning saying that".

Despite Lorenzo's attempts, Veloza's officers still managed to seize more than two-hundred weapons, a stolen motorcycle and a large quantity of marijuana.

At least four men and two other birds were also arrested in the raids.
http://news.uk.msn.com/world/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=154699050&ocid=today

Swearing parrot f***s off (that’s flies off)

Fred Attewill

When Melissa Todd bought Charlie the parrot she was warned he was fond of the F-word - so much so that he became a YouTube hit and was about to make his TV debut.

However, she was also assured by the pet shop that one talent the African grey did not have was the ability to fly – but the cheeky bird has put that claim to flight and disappeared.

Now Ms Todd is involved in a desperate hunt for Charlie, who vanished on Monday from her home in Bury, Greater Manchester, after hearing a loud noise. She has offered a reward for his safe return.

‘Charlie is like one of the family. He is really intelligent,’ said the 29-year-old pub worker.

‘He originally came from a pet shop in Manchester which went out of business but we don’t know anything about his previous owner.’ Next week, Charlie is appearing in a TV documentary called My Pet Shame about embarrassing animals. It sees experts try to break his swearing habit on the show.

But if he is not found soon he will miss his follow-up appearance on the show, presented by Gavin & Stacey actress Joanna Page, to test whether his behaviour has been changed.

‘He does swear but he also picks up things from the television and talks about himself,’ said Ms Todd, whose daughter Leonie has been left distraught by the vanishing act.

‘He says “Charlie’s pretty” and things like that. He’s been to London and the experts have come up here. The advice they gave worked for a while but he’s reverted to swearing again,’ she added.

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/833708-swearing-parrot-f-s-off-that-s-flies-off

Patriotic parrot cheers for England team (Video)

June 18, 2010 1:45 PM

A patriotic parrot will be cheering for England tonight -- after owners spent a month training it to squawk "Come on Rooney".

Feathered football fan Benji - an African Grey - is said to enjoy watching matches and squarks whenever he recognises the England team.

Owner Ruth Borrill from Peterborough says she has taught his to support our boys in South Africa by also cheering 'Come on England' and 'Goal!'.

African Grey Parrots are originally from West and Central Africa, so it is quite surprising Benji is supporting England.

As you can see from the video after the link, Benji currently says "Come on Roon" rather than Rooney -- maybe by the time we are in the World Cup final he will have got it right.

http://newslite.tv/2010/06/18/patriotic-parrot-cheers-for-en.html

World Cup parrot turns air blue

17 June 2010, 10:16

A cheeky pub parrot has caught World Cup fever after learning to screech phrases like 'Come On England' and whistle the theme from The Great Escape.

Roxy, a 10-month-old African Grey, is now lined up for a starring role on the Radio 2 Chris Evans Breakfast Show.

But millions of listeners could be in for a shock - because the bold bird shocks hardens punters with her fruity language turning the air blue.

She also likes to sip vodka and coke and bathe in John Smith's bitter if she gets the chance.

Landlady Amanda Weston, 50, who runs the Duke of Albany pub in Weymouth, Dorset, said: "She loves watching the football and after Saturday's performance it was things like 'come on England you w*****s' and 'shoot the ref'.

"But she lives in a pub so she just earwigs and repeats what she hears being said around her by the customers and my husband.

"She loves the attention and she loves the men, she's my bird but she does prefer the men. This is a blokes' pub, it's very sport orientated, and she keeps climbing on their shoulders.

"If she can she will sip a vodka and coke and she will bath in John Smith's if she gets the chance. If you get the drip trays out on the bar she will get in them and plod around. But we do discourage that."

Roxy's repertoire also includes 'wacky baccy', 'okey dokey', 'shoot the cat' and pistol noises.

Landlord Malcolm Weston, 52, said: "Roxy is a saucy bird. She does raise an eyebrow or two. She comes out with swear words I have never even heard of. I think she's brilliant."

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/World_Cup_parrot_turns_air_blue

Owner pays €50,000 for chemotherapy for her dying pet

Click to enlarge

http://e-edition.metroherald.ie/2010/03/19/ - p3.

UN animal conference tackles Mideast animal trade

By ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press Writer Zeina Karam, Associated Press Writer – Wed Mar 17, 4:55 am ET

BEIRUT – A 2-year-old lion, emaciated and barely breathing, is found in a tiny cage off a Beirut highway. Monkeys are hauled through the dark tunnels of Gaza, bound for private zoos. Rare prize falcons are kept in desert encampments by wealthy Arab sheiks.

The trade in endangered animals is flourishing in the Middle East, fueled by corruption, ineffective legislation and lax law enforcement.

"It's a problem in the Arab world that we can no longer ignore," said Marguerite Shaarawi, co-founder of the animal rights group Animals Lebanon.

The group is pushing for Lebanon to join the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, whose signatories are meeting this month in Qatar. It is the first time the 175-nation convention is meeting in an Arab country.

Lebanon and Bahrain are the only Arab countries yet to sign the convention.

Delegates at the U.N. conference are considering nearly four dozen proposals on a range of endangered species from rhinos to polar bears.

John Sellar, chief enforcement officer for CITES, said it is difficult to estimate the extent of the illegal trade in the Arab world, but Animals Lebanon estimates that it is the third largest illegal trade in the region, after weapons and drugs.

"Much of the illegal trade that takes place here is of a specialized nature," Sellar said, citing the example of prize falcons, kept by many Arab sheiks in desert encampments, particularly in the United Arab Emirates.

"We've also seen some smuggling of very exotic species ... like very rare parrots, young chimpanzees, gorillas and leopards that seem to be for the private collections of some of the rich individuals in the Gulf area," he said.

Several recent incidents have underscored the plight of animals in Lebanon — a country where the only law that refers to animal rights stipulates that anyone who purposely harms an animal has to pay a fine of up to $15.

Willem Wijnstekers, the secretary-general of CITES, said countries must have strong laws in place to discourage animal smuggling. Otherwise, he said, smugglers will simply see the penalties as part of the cost of doing business, and not a deterrent.

In December 2009, Animals Lebanon began a campaign against Egypt's Monte Carlo Circus after it received a tip that the circus animals — six lions and three tigers — did not have proper certificates and had not received water or food during the six-day trip from Egypt to Lebanon.

The group sent several activists and a veterinarian to the circus grounds to investigate, and they reported the animals were malnourished and that one cub had been de-clawed.

The circus was declared illegal in January after Agriculture Minister Hussein Hajj Hassan sent the ministry's own experts to investigate, but the circus has appealed. While the case continues, the circus is still giving daily performances attended by small crowds.

"The case of the circus, and the trade of the lions and tigers, highlighted the urgent need to have Lebanon join CITES and protect these endangered species," Hajj Hassan said.

A circus employee at a recent performance denied the animals were treated badly.

"They say we are not feeding them. Look at them, do they look hungry to you?" the employee asked the audience as lions and tigers dutifully performed acrobatics around a caged tent near a highway just north of Beirut.

There was no official comment from the circus.

The animals looked healthy at the performance, weeks after the allegations were made.

In February 2009, Animals Lebanon managed to close down a zoo and rescue its 42 neglected and dying animals that had become a health hazard to its neighbors.

The starving animals languishing in dirty, rusty cages included bears, jackals, a chimpanzee, monkeys and a vulture that had apparently spent years tied by a chain that prevented it from flying or moving out of its cage, which measured just 20 square feet (2 square meters).

"The lion and chimpanzee died, but we flew the monkeys to a sanctuary in Wales and two bears to a sanctuary in Turkey," Shaarawi said. "I cannot describe the happiness I feel when we are able to rescue abused animals and find new homes for them."

In September, a 2-year-old lion cub was rescued by members of another local animal welfare organization after he was apparently abandoned off the main road in Beirut by the owner of the pet shop that imported him.

The severely dehydrated "King of the Jungle" was emaciated and malnourished with open sores on his body, according to Beta, the organization that rescued him. Beta tried to save the animal — which the group named Adam — but it died shortly after it was found.

There are similar problems across the region.

In Egypt, a gateway from Africa to the Middle East, there is a flourishing chimpanzee trade and exotic animals are frequently smuggled in and out. The owners are believed to bribe airport officials to look away.

Last year, panic broke out on a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Egypt when a foot-long baby crocodile wriggled out of a passenger's hand luggage.

In blockaded Gaza, residents smuggle animals through tunnels that link the territory to Egypt to supply their private zoos. Smugglers proudly speak of hauling lions, monkeys and exotic birds through the underground passageways, making deals with animal smugglers in Egypt.

Most animals are drugged first, but in a particularly cruel practice, zoo owners usually rip out the teeth of lions to ensure they don't bite visitors.

Activists say many of the pet shops in Lebanon are unlicensed and keep the animals in appalling conditions without proper health care.

One pet shop owner who identified himself only by his first name, Elie, to avoid "trouble" from activists, scoffed at the allegations.

"Everything in here is legal," he says of the dogs, cats, parrots and rabbits he sells. Asked whether it was fair to keep a puppy locked up in a cage the size of a bird cage, he shrugged: "They are fine. It is only until I sell them."

___

Associated Press writers Diaa Hadid in Gaza and Sarah El Deeb in Cairo contributed to this report.

___

On the Net:

http://www.animalslebanon.org/
http://betalebanon.org/
http://www.cites.org/

___

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100317/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_un_smuggling_animals

Bank sorry for removing customer's parrot

10th March, 2010

Bank of America apologised to a woman after one of its contractors allegedly trashed her house and took her parrot while wrongly repossessing her home.

Forty-six-year-old Angela Iannelli sued the bank on Monday.

She claims her mortgage was up-to-date when one of the banking giant's contractors damaged furniture, took her pet parrot, Luke, and padlocked her door in October.

In a statement, the bank said it "sincerely apologises" and has tried for months to resolve the issue.

The bank said it has "zero tolerance for this kind of error" and said it will quickly review the lawsuit's allegations and consider any hardship that resulted.

The woman, who lives in the Pittsburgh area, said she eventually got her bird back after repeated calls to the bank.

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/816753-bank-sorry-for-removing-customers-parrot

Owner of Pirates of Caribbean parrot jailed

The yellow and blue macaw starred in the 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Photo: IMAGES INTERNATIONAL

The owner of a celebrity parrot which starred in Pirates of the Caribbean has been jailed after being caught driving with her pet bird on her shoulder.

Published: 8:21AM GMT 09 Mar 2010

Ludmila Sweeney was pulled over and arrested at the Port of Dover in September last year after officers spotted her driving around with the giant macaw, called Chip, perched on her arm.

But as she was questioned about her 14th driving conviction, her pet attacked a policeman who was trying to move her car.

The protective bird, which was loose inside the vehicle, bit and scratched PC Martin Dadd as he tried to steer the car to a pound, tearing 'chunks out of him', according to witnesses.

The yellow and blue macaw starred in the 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl with Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley as the mouthpiece of mute Pirate Cotton, played by David Bailie.

But although Chip is free, his owner was jailed as Ashford Magistrates Court last month, it was revealed today.

Sweeney, 58, of Berkshire, pleaded guilty to driving whilst disqualified and was jailed for five months and disqualified from driving for six years.

Speaking at the time, witness Greig Stephenson said: "The bird wouldn't stop going for the poor guy. It was flying around taking chunks out of him as he drove.

"The copper looked terrified and was covered in scratches. He did not look happy at all."

A police spokesman said: "The woman who was arrested last year for driving whilst disqualified with a macaw parrot (the very same parrot that starred in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean) sat on her shoulder pleaded guilty at Ashford Magistrates Court and was sentenced to 150 days imprisonment and disqualified for driving for six years."

Chief Supt Steve Masters, who confirmed that a relative was looking after the celebrity parrot while Sweeney was in jail, said: "It is fair to say that the officer got a bit of a pecking and had a few scratches and bites."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7404988/Owner-of-Pirates-of-Caribbean-parrot-jailed.html

Rare chance to meet a kaka chick

Thursday, 3 December 2009, 2:59 pm
Press Release: Zealandia
ZEALANDIA to give visitors a rare chance to meet a kaka chick

This Saturday, visitors to ZEALANDIA will have a rare opportunity to meet a five-week old kaka chick - the first time juveniles of this species have been made accessible to the public in this way.

"For most people, this will be the closest they have ever come to this incredible parrot," said ZEALANDIA conservation manager Raewyn Empson.

"Kaka chicks are usually only seen by zoologists! They start life as tiny fluffy white babies but by the time they leave the nest at about two months age they look very like an adult kaka. The chicks are extremely cute and it is very exciting to have an opportunity to share the experience with the public."

The kaka encounter will take place at 12pm at ZEALANDIA's Tui Terrace (approximately 15 minutes' walk from the Visitor Centre). General admission fees apply. No need to book, but please note this event will be cancelled in the event of wet weather. Visit www.visitzealandia.com/events or call 04 920 9200 for details.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0912/S00036.htm

Rare chance to meet a kaka chick

Thursday, 3 December 2009, 2:59 pm
Press Release: Zealandia
ZEALANDIA to give visitors a rare chance to meet a kaka chick

This Saturday, visitors to ZEALANDIA will have a rare opportunity to meet a five-week old kaka chick - the first time juveniles of this species have been made accessible to the public in this way.

"For most people, this will be the closest they have ever come to this incredible parrot," said ZEALANDIA conservation manager Raewyn Empson.

"Kaka chicks are usually only seen by zoologists! They start life as tiny fluffy white babies but by the time they leave the nest at about two months age they look very like an adult kaka. The chicks are extremely cute and it is very exciting to have an opportunity to share the experience with the public."

The kaka encounter will take place at 12pm at ZEALANDIA's Tui Terrace (approximately 15 minutes' walk from the Visitor Centre). General admission fees apply. No need to book, but please note this event will be cancelled in the event of wet weather. Visit www.visitzealandia.com/events or call 04 920 9200 for details.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0912/S00036.htm

Parrot can go by bus

Metro Ireland, 30 October 2009, p3.

Parrot can go by bus

Metro Ireland, 30 October 2009, p3.

Stephen Fry docu parrot's romp with presenter gets 500k hits on YouTube

By BEN JACKSON
Published: 07 Oct 2009

FOOTAGE of one of the world's rarest birds trying to mate with a BBC presenter during a Stephen Fry documentary has become a hit on Twitter.

More than half a million viewers have watched the moment when an endangered New Zealand parrot becomes amorously attracted to British zoologist and wildlife presenter Mark Cawardine on You Tube.

There have been already 15,000 mentions of the clip on Twitter since a BBC2 show aired the show, Last Chance to See, this week.

The programme features the world's most endangered animals.

Carwardine and actor Stephen Fry had travelled to New Zealand to see the large flightless bird the kakapo which is so rare there are just 124 left in the world. It is the world's only flightless parrot.

But Cawardine, who is also a wildlife photographer, was left astonished as he got close enough to the bird, named Sirocco, and discovered it thought he was a real cracker.

Fry's commentary describes the kakapo as looking like an "old fashioned, big side-burned, Victorian gentleman."

He watches as the bird approaches Cawardine before climbing on his shoulders.

Fry's is heard to say: "Look at that" as Sirocco struggles to grab hold of his bewildered co-presenter, before adding cautiously.

"He's getting a bit frisky - he is."

As camera continue rolling Fry asks a nearby keeper: "Do you think he's actually attempting a sort of mating ritual?"

As a keeper confirms his question off camera he tells Cawardine, "Oh, he is."

Fry continues: "Look he's so happy. It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen."

Collapsing with laughter, tells his colleague: "Mark - you are being shagged by a rare parrot."

Sirocco, who is 12-years-old has shot to stardom since the programme was aired. Admirers have dubbed the footage "award-winning", "the best thing on television" and "quite simply hilarious" while tweets have suggested Sirocco deserves his own TV show.

Carwardine suffered scratches to his head and neck - not to mention a severe loss of dignity in the scuffle.

The whole episode was captured on film and while Fry spread the word on Twitter at the time, but it was when Last Chance to See programme aired on the BBC this week that the public got to see the unusual ritual first hand.

Since then, the clip has been the most viewed video on the BBC website and has had more than 600,000 views on YouTube. Clicks to the video from Twitter have numbered around 15,000 from 113 individual tweets and Sirocco has also cracked the United States, appearing on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show, 'Moment of Geek'.

Sirocco now even appears on Facebook where he received 700 new friend requests within a hour of the show being broadcast.

New Zealand's Department of Conservation and members of the kakapo recovery programme are now deciding the next move for the now internationally renowned parrot.

Sirocco is the face of the kakapo recovery programme and is described as an extraordinary and charismatic bird who has a strong affinity with humans. A respiratory illness suffered early in life meant that Sirocco had to be hand reared by the kakapo recovery team.

The kakapo recovery programme has helped the bird recover from a population of just 100 to 124.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/Green/2672484/Stephen-Fry-docu-parrots-romp-with-presenter-gets-500k-hits-on-YouTube.html#ixzz0TMRG19Kd

Stephen Fry docu parrot's romp with presenter gets 500k hits on YouTube

By BEN JACKSON
Published: 07 Oct 2009

FOOTAGE of one of the world's rarest birds trying to mate with a BBC presenter during a Stephen Fry documentary has become a hit on Twitter.

More than half a million viewers have watched the moment when an endangered New Zealand parrot becomes amorously attracted to British zoologist and wildlife presenter Mark Cawardine on You Tube.

There have been already 15,000 mentions of the clip on Twitter since a BBC2 show aired the show, Last Chance to See, this week.

The programme features the world's most endangered animals.

Carwardine and actor Stephen Fry had travelled to New Zealand to see the large flightless bird the kakapo which is so rare there are just 124 left in the world. It is the world's only flightless parrot.

But Cawardine, who is also a wildlife photographer, was left astonished as he got close enough to the bird, named Sirocco, and discovered it thought he was a real cracker.

Fry's commentary describes the kakapo as looking like an "old fashioned, big side-burned, Victorian gentleman."

He watches as the bird approaches Cawardine before climbing on his shoulders.

Fry's is heard to say: "Look at that" as Sirocco struggles to grab hold of his bewildered co-presenter, before adding cautiously.

"He's getting a bit frisky - he is."

As camera continue rolling Fry asks a nearby keeper: "Do you think he's actually attempting a sort of mating ritual?"

As a keeper confirms his question off camera he tells Cawardine, "Oh, he is."

Fry continues: "Look he's so happy. It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen."

Collapsing with laughter, tells his colleague: "Mark - you are being shagged by a rare parrot."

Sirocco, who is 12-years-old has shot to stardom since the programme was aired. Admirers have dubbed the footage "award-winning", "the best thing on television" and "quite simply hilarious" while tweets have suggested Sirocco deserves his own TV show.

Carwardine suffered scratches to his head and neck - not to mention a severe loss of dignity in the scuffle.

The whole episode was captured on film and while Fry spread the word on Twitter at the time, but it was when Last Chance to See programme aired on the BBC this week that the public got to see the unusual ritual first hand.

Since then, the clip has been the most viewed video on the BBC website and has had more than 600,000 views on YouTube. Clicks to the video from Twitter have numbered around 15,000 from 113 individual tweets and Sirocco has also cracked the United States, appearing on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show, 'Moment of Geek'.

Sirocco now even appears on Facebook where he received 700 new friend requests within a hour of the show being broadcast.

New Zealand's Department of Conservation and members of the kakapo recovery programme are now deciding the next move for the now internationally renowned parrot.

Sirocco is the face of the kakapo recovery programme and is described as an extraordinary and charismatic bird who has a strong affinity with humans. A respiratory illness suffered early in life meant that Sirocco had to be hand reared by the kakapo recovery team.

The kakapo recovery programme has helped the bird recover from a population of just 100 to 124.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/Green/2672484/Stephen-Fry-docu-parrots-romp-with-presenter-gets-500k-hits-on-YouTube.html#ixzz0TMRG19Kd

PUERTO RICAN PARROT RECOVERY PLAN

The second revision of the recovery plan for the Puerto Rican parrot, one of the most endangered birds in the world, is ready for public review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) said Wednesday.
FWS Regional Director Sam D. Hamilton said the updated plan would continue to focus on captive breeding of the endangered parrots for release into the wild..

“We continue working with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER), the U.S. Forest Service and the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust to increase the captive and wild populations of this majestic species,” Hamilton said in a statement.

Work to save the species dates back to 1968 but a formalized Puerto Rican parrot recovery plan was not implemented until 1987. The second revision of that plan specifically details the recovery goals that should be met to reclassify them from a major risk to a minor risk under the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, the FWS official said.

The revised plan also outlines the estimated timeframe and costs of carrying out the recovery efforts.

The current wild population is estimated at fewer than five dozen – between 22 and 28 in El Yunque and another 22 to 28 in the Río Abajo State Forest in Arecibo. Fewer than 300 are in captivity in two breeding facilities near El Yunque and Río Abajo.

There were an estimated 1 million Puerto Rican parrots when Christopher Columbus reached the island 500 years ago. By the 1950s, however, the number had dwindled to just 200 or so, due to poisoning from insecticides on crops, predation by exotic species and loss of habitat.

The effort to breed the birds at a Luquillo aviary to boost the El Yunque wild population was dealt a heavy blow in 1989 when Hurricane Hugo churned across northeastern Puerto Rico and decimated the rainforest, killing half of the parrot population.

The DNER got involved in the recovery program in 1993, and established a new captive population in the Río Abajo area. The first of those aviary-bred birds were released into the wild in 2006.

http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news03.php?nt_id=31843&ct_id=1

Cheeky parrot steals tourist's passport

Posted Sat May 30, 2009 4:42am AEST

A wild New Zealand parrot - perhaps with a desire to spread its wings further afield - has pinched a Scottish man's passport in a bag snatch.

The passport was in a brightly coloured courier bag in the luggage compartment of a bus heading into the popular tourist destination of Milford Sound in the Fiordland region of the South Island, the Southland Times reported.

The kea, the world's only alpine parrot, struck when the bus stopped and the driver was busy in the luggage compartment. When the driver turned around the startled kea flew away with the passport.

The bird was last seen heading into thick forest and the British passport's owner doesn't expect to get it back.

"Being Scottish, I've got a sense of humour so I did take it with humour but obviously there is one side of me still raging," said the man, who did not want to be named.

"My passport is somewhere out there in Fiordland. The kea's probably using it for fraudulent claims or something.

"I'll never look at a kea in the same way."

Kea are renowned for their intelligence and curiosity and the protected birds are also considered a pest for pulling rubber fittings and windscreen wipers from vehicles and rummaging in people's bags.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/30/2585161.htm

Golfing parrot takes YouTube by storm

A sporty parrot who plays golf and basketball has become an internet hit.
The parrot, called AJ, can be seen putting a golf ball, slam dunking a basketball and performing gymnastic routines.

Thousands of fans have watched the sporting all-rounder demonstrate his prowess in a series of clips on video sharing website YouTube.

The green and yellow parrot's personal trainer offers encouragement from the sidelines with comments such as "good bird" and "good job."

And the bird psyches himself up for the challenge by repeating: "Put the ball in the basket. Put the ball in the basket."

The Indian Ringneck Parakeet starts his gymnastic routine by playing dead and jumping to his feet as a man out of view of the camera says: "get up".

The 18 year old parrot rolls over sideways and climbs onto his trainer's finger, which he uses as a high bar to perform more remarkable stunts.

As the trainer says "do a flip" and "turn around" the obedient parrot rolls over the finger using his feet to grip. He then balances and turns on the spot.

He finishes the routine by offering a claw to shake hands.

The parrot leaves the gymnasium and heads to a miniature golf course where he holds a club in his beak and swings at a ball.

The ball rolls smoothly across the green, avoiding the bunkers, and falls into the hole - possibly for a birdie.

Eager AJ picks the ball out of the hole and hands it to his trainer.

He then plays the ball again to demonstrate his previous effort was not a fluke.

Taking a miniature yellow basketball in his beak, the parrot climbs a ladder onto a table with court markings and a basketball net and backboard at one end.

He repeats his trainer's command to "put the ball in the basket" and slams the ball through the hoop for two points.

The video finishes with AJ looking at the camera with a sense of pride at what he has achieved.

Owner Dave Cota, of Florida, USA, said he believed AJ was the most sporty bird in the world. The 40 year old, an entrepreneur who has worked in the sports industry, said: "It seems that he can play anything I show him.

"I have had him since he was very young and he just loves to play sports.

"I have had no trouble trianing him at all - he is very special.

"He even tells himself to do his own tricks before doing them.

"AJ certainly loves golf. I would say that is his favourite sport and he even watches it on television."

AJ even has a custom-built golf course which cost around 2,000 pounds.

Dave added: "He also has his own custom-made golf clubs and bag. It cost a lot but it's worth it because he likes doing it so much."

One viewer, called davna90, loved the bird's sporting exploits.

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?Golfing_parrot_takes_YouTube_by_storm&in_article_id=584920&in_page_id=34